The Before Clause
by Moo Moo Cow The Writer
Summary: Who was that Santa Scott scared off the roof? How did he become Santa and was his transformation any easier than Scott's? Follow Samuel Clark through his time and see how he became the new Santa Claus. HIATUS
1. Prologue

The Before Clause

Fandom: The Santa Clause

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Adventure/Spiritual

Full Summary: Who was that Santa Scott scared off the roof? How did he become Santa and was his transformation any easier than Scott's? Follow Samuel Clark through his time and see how he became the new Santa Claus.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Santa Clause or any of it's characters. I do, however, own my characters.

Comment: Just thought I could get into the Christmas holiday and write a story. Though, I might not finish until after Christmas, but, whatever. xD Anyway, this is the Prologue, so, that explains why it's so very, very short. ^^; Normally, they're pretty long, since, I seem to ramble, but, my real chapters will be much longer then this one. :3 Well, hope you like!

And, if I get some facts wrong, please, tell me and I can come back and fix them, but, if it's a problem that's impossible to fix, please just deal with my mistakes. ^^; I've been trying my best to learn as much about this period of time as possible, but, I can only find out as much as Google can give me. :3

–

December 23, 1891. Two days 'til Christmas. Which, usually means that it's the second most hectic day of the year in the North Pole. Elves scurried off, trying to get all the toys ready. Others were loading them and some were taking care of the reindeer. The elves in the kitchen were even working their hardest. Everything had to be perfect for Christmas Day.

"Stop shoveling all that coal in the heater, Marten!" yelled the head elf, Bernard. "It's hot enough in here!" He took off in hat and wiped his forehead. Even if it was below degrees outside, he was working so hard and moving back and forth between so many places, he was sweating like crazy. Strangely, this year had gone by smoothly.

Bernard quickly checked off another thing he had to do that day on his clipboard and headed off to the current Santa's office. He needed to make sure that Santa was checking the list a second time and not scarfing down sugar cookies again. As he opened the door and walked in, he had just noticed that he had interpreted a conversation Santa was having with his wife, Holly Claus. He fake coughed slightly, not meaning to butt in on their conversation.

"Sorry to intrude, but, I'm here to check in on you. Do you have the list checked twice?" Bernard asked, looking serious.

"Yes, yes I do. I put it...Oh dear...where did I put it?" Santa scrambled around his office, looking for his list. Bernard didn't know how Santa lost so much stuff; especially a huge scroll with all the children of the world's names on it. Bernard had noticed that these past few years Santa had started to misplace things and forget about important due dates; thankfully, he hadn't forgotten Christmas yet.

"Sorry about this Bernard," Mrs. Claus apologized, helping her husband search. Bernard sighed.

"It's alright, as long as you find the list. And, don't forget, Santa, tomorrow, you have to get fitted, to make sure your suit fits perfectly," Bernard explained, before walking out of the room and shutting the door. He sighed to him self again. Even if Santas didn't age, that didn't mean they couldn't age mentally. Before Bernard could walk away from the door completely, he heard Mrs. Claus and Santa discussing something. He put his head to the door, listening.

"Please, you have to retire some time, Shelton. You've worked as being Santa for so long...And, I miss everyone back in Virginia," Holly whispered, her voice cracking.

"Sh, sh. Don't cry, Holly. I know, I know. But, what can I do?" Mr. Claus asked.

"The Escape Clause! That will bring you back to the day when you put on that red coat," Mrs. Claus said, her voice pleading.

"Holly..." Santa said softly. "I just...I just don't want to do that."

"Why not?" she demanded.

"Because...well, I'll miss this place too much," Shelton explained. "And...I know how much you miss everyone...I do too. But, when the time comes for me to stop being Santa...it'll come. Maybe even sooner then you think."

Bernard stepped away from the door then. Usually, he wasn't an eavesdropper, but, he was curious to why they were discussing such an important matter without him. Bernard considered walking into the room again, but, he quickly pushed it away from his mind. Shelton wasn't going to use the Escape Claus, so, there wasn't anything to worry about at this moment. Now all Bernard had to be stressed over was getting Christmas perfect.

As Bernard walked off from the office door, his thoughts started to wander. Surprisingly, Mrs. Claus was right, Santa had been working here a long time. Longer then most Santas anyway. Bernard could actually barely remember the last Santa they had. His thoughts were interrupted when he tripped over a wooden, blue car. He fell forward and barely caught him self before he face planted into the ground. He got up, dusted him self off, and picked up the toy.

"Why is this on the ground?" Bernard asked, annoyed that it wasn't being put into the sleigh. He held the toy up for everyone to see. All the elves in the workshop stopped working and stared at him, wondering who pissed Bernard off. One of the more smaller elves scurried up to him, a guilty look on his face.

"S-Sorry, Bernard, it fell out of the bag," the elf explained.

"Okay, then, put it back in the bag." His face softened a bit when he saw the elf's expression. "Just...don't let it happen again, okay?" The elf smiled shyly and nodded, grabbing the toy from Bernard's hand and running back outside where the sleigh was. He looked up at the other elves, that were still staring at him.

"Well?! Back to work!" he yelled at all of them, which, jump started them to work even faster then before. Strangely, his thoughts went back to how long Shelton had been at the North Pole. He wasn't complaining or anything; Shelton was a very kind and thoughtful Santa. Bernard just felt like his time was soon and this sadden Bernard. He had grown fond of the current Santa.

Bernard then realized he was detracting him self from his work and tried to push his thoughts to the back of his mind. Still, throughout the day, the thought kept nagging at him. And, no matter how hard Bernard tried, he just couldn't get it out of his head.

–

Okay, yeah, so this chapter was EXTREMELY short, but, I promise the next chapter will be MUCH longer. So, yeah, you didn't get to meet Samuel Clark in this chapter, but, you will in the next. :3


	2. A Visit

The Before Clause

Fandom: The Santa Clause

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Adventure/Spiritual

Full Summary: Who was that Santa Scott scared off the roof? How did he become Santa and was his transformation any easier than Scott's? Follow Samuel Clark through his time and see how he became the new Santa Claus.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Santa Clause or any of it's characters. I do, however, own my characters.

Comment: Yay! We finally get to meet some characters! :3 Again, if I get anything wrong in this period of time, please, tell me and I'll do my best to fix it. :D Also, I am attempting to do a British accent...though, I'm pretty sure I suck at typing it and even worse at acting like I have one in real life. So, please bare with me, I know I suck. xD

–

It was high noon and the streets of Birmingham, Great Britain, were especially busy. It was Christmas Eve and lots of people were getting in their last minutes of shopping done. Well, the more wealthy and middle class folks were shopping. The more poor of the people in the city were out working; hoping they will earn enough to get at least something special for the family later on in the day.

The line to get into Hamley's 'Noah's Ark' Toy Warehouse reached all the way to the streets; the line to pay was almost as long. A tall, scrawny man stood in the pay line, held a doll under his left arm and a toy train under the other. In his right hand, he held a wooden yo-yo. He tapped his foot impatiently, wanting to pay for the items already. As he moved through the line, he felt his hat go lopsided and became aware that he might be late getting back to his home. This only made him more impatient.

The man, taller then most men his age, had dark brown hair and bright green eyes. His mustache matched the color of his hair and he was unusually skinnier and scrawnier for someone who ate well every night. As he was the third one to the front, he slowly and carefully pulled out a golden pocket watch with his free hand and clicked it open. Huffing in annoyance, he closed it and glared at a man in front of him; trying to burn a hole through the poor fellow's head. Finally, he was next.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Clark," the clerk said cheerfully. "Out late shopping for your niece and nephew again, I see?" Sam gave a guilty smile.

"John, Mr. Fisher as you know him, and I are still working on that second Mill. It's not easy, you know," Samuel quickly clarified. "But, I've been so busy working on all the paper work, that I haven't had anytime to buy their presents...again." The clerk gave a chuckle. He was currently wrapping the train up in a box.

"You're still working on that Mill? How long has it been since your father had been trying to open another Mill?" The clerk asked.

"Almost ten years. But, I only took over about four years ago."

"What's taking so long to open the second one?"

"The damn building." Sam leaned forward, waving for the clerk to come closer; Samuel didn't want rumors going around the town. "John's father had found the perfect building before he died. It was big, it needed very few repairs, and it's right smack in the middle of the town. It was the..." Samuel paused and then decided stop talking after that. After all, John and Sam both didn't want other people to find out where they were going to put the Textile Mill quite yet. The clerked stared at Sam, waiting for him to continue.

"Well, as you can tell, I really need to get back. My sister will never let it go if I'm late," Samuel Clark said, nodding towards the gifts. The clerk snapped out of his trance and stumbled wrapping the last gift; the yo-yo. Once he payed, Sam picked up his gifts, tipped his hat at the clerk, and gave a thankful smile.

"Good day to you, Joseph," Sam said, and then walked out the door. While walking, he shifted all his presents to his right side and used his left hand to straighten his hat, which had gone lopsided again. But, before he could grab one of the heavy packages from his right arm, he saw an old woman on the side of the street. She was in rags and was a beggar. He had passed her on his way here, except, he was on the opposite side of the road and had easily avoided her.

He took a glance at the cup she had at her side; very few pennies. He then took a few glances around himself, reached into his pocket and threw whatever change he had into her tin can. The woman looked up at him as if he were an angel and gave him a toothless grin. Sam gave her a quick, shy smile and then walked on. He took out his pocket watch again and looked at the time. When he clicked it shut once again, he quicken his pace. He was going to be late.

–

When he walked up to his front door, it opened. A middle aged man stared at Samuel as he walked into his home.

"Thank you, Thomas," Samuel said, giving a nod at his butler.

"Sir, you're late," declared Thomas. "Mrs. Caroline has been waiting for about an hour now. I told you to take the carriage so you would be here on time."

"I know, I know. I'm sure I'm going to get a mouth full from her, so I don't need it from you, too," Samuel said, placing the gifts down. Just then, two small children rushed into the room, both trying to get to their uncle first. The girl, finally able to push her older brother out of the way, raced next to her uncle and he quickly picked her up.

"How is my favorite niece?" He asked, giving her a big grin. Martha smiled back.

"Good, but, I'll be even better once I get my gift," the three year old girl said, smiling. Sam chuckled.

"I guess so." He picked up a present that was wrapped in pink cloth and then tied with a purple bow. Martha squealed and grabbed the gift from her uncle. William tugged at his uncle's pants.

"What about _my _gift?" The six year old boy asked. Samuel bended down, gave the boy a quick hug, and handed him his gift; a box wrapped in a dark green cloth and a blue bow. The young boy smiled and ripped the paper off as if his life depended on it. When Sam stood back up, Thomas was was right next to him, which, made Sam jump in surprise.

"You've _got _to stop doing that, Thomas," Sam said, putting his hand over his heart.

"Sir, where is Franklin?" his butler asked, completely ignoring Sam's statement.

"Still asleep, probably," Samuel said without even thinking over what he said.

"_Asleep?!" _Exclaimed the butler. "He's suppose to be by your side at _all _times!"

"Yes, asleep. And, I know, _I know._ But, he was up late helping me with some paper work and I thought he deserved some rest today," Sam explained, trying to get Thomas to see his point. Thomas certainly did _not. _The butler huffed in disapproval.

"That boy should be thankful! You took him off the streets and he repays you by _sleeping_! I'm going to wake that boy up at once!" Thomas yelled and scurried up the stairs and to the right; towards Franklin's room. Samuel sighed. Martha tugged on his pants.

"Why is Thomas always so mean?" Martha asked. Sam picked her up and smiled; the doll he had gotten her was in her little hands. He was about to speak up when William cut in.

"He's not mean, stupid. That Franklin kid should be by uncle's side. He _is _his bodyguard after all," William explained, expecting praise from his uncle. Instead, Sam frowned and put Martha down.

"I'm not so sure about that, William," was all Sam said before a woman in her early twenties came into the room. She had bleach blond hair and bright blue eyes. Her skin was a beautiful cream color and her waist was tiny; though, this was mostly because of the girdle she wore. Her blond hair was twisted into a bun on top of her head and walked with grace. The woman stopped when she saw Sam and gave him a glare.

"Hello, Caroline," Sam said, giving a wave of innocence. Caroline stalked up to him.

"Do you _not _understand how _long _we've been _waiting, _brother?" Caroline asked him, annoyance in her voice. Sam gave a guilty smile.

"Sorry, but, I had to buy the children their presents..." Sam trailed off, knowing that no matter the excuse, she was not going to let this go. Caroline hated waiting for people; and, it didn't matter who you were, if you were late, she was going to scold you to no end. Unlike his sister, Sam was usually always late to things, and even as kids, he usually got in trouble for it as well.

"Nonetheless, you should have been here on _time _for once. I told you multiple times, family comes before business," Caroline scolded, glaring at her older brother. Samuel sighed once again.

"Caroline...you know I have to get this Mill done...for father...I have to," Sam whispered to her. Caroline's gaze softened.

"Sam..." Caroline went over to her brother, he stare soft and mother like. Then, she smirked and punched him in the arm playfully; a little harder then she meant. She did this a lot when they were kids.

"Ow! What on earth was that for?" Sam asked, rubbing his arm.

"Nice try, but, you can't foul me into forgiving me with that story. I refuse to fall for it again!"Caroline said, amusement in her voice. Sam smiled back.

"I wish you did fall for it, it would hurt less." Just then, a boy raced down the stairs, tightening his belt on his way down. Once he off the stairs, he ran towards Sam. He was out of breath and before he spoke, he looked at Caroline, bowed and then looked back at Sam.

"S-Sorry...I didn't mean... to s-sleep in...sir!" Franklin explained, taking in deep breaths of air. Sam smiled at the boy and ruffled his already messy reddish brown hair.

"No need to be sorry, Franklin. I let you sleep in. And, you could have slept longer, but, Thomas had a melt down and woke you up," Sam said with a eye roll. Thomas grunted in disapproval behind him; Sam jumped again by the sudden noise.

"My goodness, Thomas! One of these days you're going to give me a heart attack!" Samuel said. The children behind him giggled at their uncle; finding it very amusing that he was frightened.

"Sir, you should know better then anyone that--" Thomas' lecture was interrupted by a knock at the door. The butler frowned in annoyance and walked over to the door. Caroline gave Sam a quick look. Sam knew this look too well; it was the it-better-not-be-anyone-that-is-going-to-pull-you-away-from-your-time-with-the-family look. And, to Caroline's and Sam's disappointment, John Fisher came through the door, a wide grin on his face.

"J-John! You're here early!" Sam stumbled getting out his watch and when he finally was able to look at the time, he learned that John was right on time. "...Or not."

"Sammy, my boy! You ready to go?" John asked, excitement in his voice. His huge smile slowly went down when Sam didn't answer. "Well? Are you ready to go or not?"

"Not!" Caroline answered for Sam. "Samuel Alexander Clark, you promised me that we could have the morning together and you were late getting here, so, I expect that you will be spending the afternoon with your family for making up lost time?" Caroline tapped her foot, waiting for an answer quickly; as if daring him to go with John. John looked at Caroline as if she had just appeared out of thin air. His smile returned to his lips.

"Mrs. Caroline! Lovely to see you again. Looking as beautiful as ever," John said, going over to her and kissed her hand. She quickly pulled it away from his lips and gave him a look of disgust. He only smirked in return. "Though, I think woman as beautiful as your self should hold their tongues when they are not being talked to. Don't you agree, Samuel?" Sam ignored his question.

"John, how you go without me? I mean, I did promise I would spend some time with my sister and her children," Sam tried to explain. John flinched as if Samuel just punch him in the gut, but, quickly regained his calm exterior. John was never used to being told no; Sam usually always listen to him and always did what John told him to do.

"That's fine." John went over to Sam, put his arm Sam's shoulder, and started talking to him as if understood completely; though, Sam had to bend down for John, since, he was so tall.

"It's just...I was hoping you could be there. I mean, both our father's worked together to get this building, I just thought that you and I could do it together as well," John whispered to him. Then, he sighed. "And, just think that they might not sign the contract if there isn't both of us there." Sam frowned. He hadn't thought of that. John let go of Sam with a wicked smirk, knowing that he had convinced him.

"Well...if you put it that way..." Sam said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. Just then, he looked over at Caroline, giving her a pleading look. She just glared at him, piecing into his heart. He walked over to her.

"I promise I'll make this up to you. Just...I need to get that contract signed. You know how long father worked to get this place," Sam said, giving her a puppy dog stare. Caroline sighed and nodded.

"Fine, but, you _better _make it up," Caroline said, not even looking him in the eye. Sam smiled, delighted. He hugged her and gave her a kiss on the forehead before saying goodbye to Martha and William, who, were sad to see that they had to leave. Caroline picked up Martha and held Williams hand while Thomas held the door open for them to leave. Before they left though, Caroline turned to her brother.

"I hope you made the right choice," she said, wiping her eyes, and then walked out of the house. Sam was surprised by her expression more then her words though. To Sam, Caroline looked more sad then mad; and, he knew his sister better then anyone. Though, John quickly waved it away.

"Your sister is very stubborn. It's a shame really. Someone as pretty as her, I mean. She would be so much more appealing if she just kept quiet," John said, lighting a cigar. Samuel wanted to snap back at him, no one spoke of his sister like that. But, he regained his sensibility and thought better then to yell at John; it was be too disrespectful. Instead, he just decided ignored it.

"Are we leaving or not?" he asked, annoyed.

"Oh, yes. Come now, Sammy boy. There isn't reason for you to be mad. I think you should be thankful! I just got rid of that angry woman in your house!" John rambled on as they went into the carriage; Franklin quietly at Sam's side. Sam ignored John as he talked and decided to stair out the window of the carriage. He started to think about his sister and how upset she looked. He couldn't remember the last time his sister cried. Probably when their father died four years ago.

–

John walked out of the bank, a skip in his step. Sam was right behind, smiling happily with Franklin at his side.

"We did it! We did it, Sammy boy! We finally got the bankers to see it our way!" John cheered as Sam came up next to him. "We're going out to celebrate! Drinks on me!" Suddenly, the doors' to the bank burst open and a young woman walked out; steaming. Her black hair was in a messy braid and her skin was tanned, as if she worked in the sun a lot. She had piercing brown eyes and had on a dress with too many holes.

"This is outrages! How could they do this to me?! How could they do this to all of us?!" the woman screamed at no one in particular. Sam stopped walking and turned to stare at the crazy woman, his brow arched. The woman locked eyes with Sam and came stalking up to him, pointing her finger at him.

"You cruel, cruel man!" she yelled at him. "How could you be so...so...so horrible?!" Sam vaguely remembered the woman being with the bankers. She was introduced as Isabelle Henson; the owner of the building that was being bought for the textile mill. John was next to Sam in a second.

"Just ignore her, Sam. You're way above her class and she has no right to speak to you so illy," John scuffed, glaring at Isabelle. Isabelle sent him a hateful glare back.

"You're talking to me about _class_?! You two are the ones buying an orphanage for your damn mill!" Isabelle screamed, her voice breaking. "Damn you! Damn you both to hell!" Then, Isabelle fell to her knees and covered her face, not wanting them to see her cry. She didn't want to cry in front of them. She didn't want them to see her at her weakest point, but, she couldn't help it. The tears just came even with her protests. John quickly turned around and started walking towards their carriage.

"Come along, Sam. She's not worth our time." Though, Samuel hesitated. He felt bad for Isabelle and having her cry made him think about his sister, which, made him feel worse. He would have gone over to Isabelle, helped her up, and would have tried to make her stop crying if he didn't already know that she would just slap his hands away from her. Franklin looked at Isabelle sadly, wishing he could help her.

"Sam!" John called from inside the carriage. Sam looked at Isabelle one last time before turning and walking into the carriage. Franklin came in a second after him. All three stayed quiet while they rode through the town. Sam kept thinking back to how Isabelle just broke down in front of them.

He really wished now that he had at least tried and helped her, then, he wondered why he thought this. She was the one cursing at him, so, shouldn't he loath her. Instead he felt something else. At first he thought it was pity, but, after thinking it through more and more, he felt something else and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He thought about this until finally the driver stopped in front of the local pub, The Dirty Duck.

"Ready to celebrate what we've been trying to accomplish for ten years?" John said, stepping out into the street.

"Certainly," Sam said getting out of the carriage, but, before getting out completely, he turned back around to stare at Franklin.

"Franklin, I want you to go home. The driver will take you. I think it would be best if it was just me and John tonight," Samuel tried to explain, giving the boy a smile. Franklin looked like he was about to protest, but, then thought better of it and nodded. "Great! I'll see you later tonight then." Sam left the carriage completely, determined to get his mind off of Isabelle and to have a good time tonight, because he should be celebrating; despite the sinking feeling in his gut.

–

I'm really sorry this took so long to get out, but, I've been extremely busy with school and then things with my friends. I haven't had really that much time to write, but, the time I did had, I worked on this chapter. I hope it was worth the wait. :3


	3. A Night Ride

The Before Clause

Fandom: The Santa Clause

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Adventure/Spiritual

Full Summary: Who was that Santa Scott scared off the roof? How did he become Santa and was his transformation any easier than Scott's? Follow Samuel Clark through his time and see how he became the new Santa Claus.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Santa Clause or any of it's characters. I do, however, own my characters.

Comment: Forth chapter!! :3 Thanks to all that reviewed! Especially J. W. Appel for all the reviews. :3 I wish I could write you back. T-T Anyway, enjoy the chapter!! x3

–

Samuel wasn't much of a drinker unless it was wine; which, is the reason why his first mug of beer was still full. Unlike John, who, had already bought two rounds for everyone in the pub in the last ten minutes. Sam, watching one of the waitresses from John from the waitress repeatedly, was getting extremely bored. Despite it being Christmas Eve, the Dirty Duck was packed with men and woman alike; some even passed out on the floor. Sam had been watching some of these woman, but, none really acknowledged him because they were either working as a waitress or they were trying to drink their sorrows away.

Finally, Sam turned his bored stare towards John, who, was drinking his fourth beer. Sam had known from long ago that John was a happy drunk; which, surprised him a bit. John would spill secrets like they were nothing and he became a little too friendly with anyone that was stupid enough to come close to him when he was drinking. Sam had found him self helping his friend into his carriage too many times to count; one time with John thanking him with a smack to the butt, and it resulted in an awkward talk the next day. Though, Sam had no right to talk, since, he to was a happy drunk; thankfully, he barely touched anything alcoholic besides wine, which, he only had during his meals.

Sam, after coming out of his thoughts, realized that John was talking a sober red headed woman. The woman looked slightly bored, resting her chin on her hand and every now and then she let out a smile and nodded. John seemed to going on and on about how wealthy he was; which, Sam guessed, was the only reason the woman would be talking to him. It's not that John was ugly, he was just extremely well feed; though, this made him look more muscular then he was. He had thinning light brown hair, with a beard to match. He was also shorter then most men, which, he was very sensitive about. John offended never stood by Sam, because it would only make him look shorter, since, Sam was taller then most men.

"I live in this mansion right outside of town," John paused to take a swing of his mug. "How about you and I go there tonight?" Samuel sighed to him self. He knew John was drunk because John knows better then to bring strange woman into his house; especially since his wife would disapprove. Though, if John were sober, he would have still have flirted with the woman. John had an arranged marriage when he was only sixteen and he had always hated the woman. Mary Fisher had hated him all the same, but, they've put up with each other for twelve years now; both having multiple affairs with other people. But, both knew better then to bring their affairs back to the house; even though John had done it a couple of times, just to have the woman he brought home being screamed at by Mary and for them to go home.

"Uh...I'm not so sure. But, how about you introduce me to your friend behind you?" the woman said, looking around John and staring at Sam. John scuffed.

"You mean Sammy boy?" another swig of beer. "You don't want to sleep with him, he's destroying an orphanage for his mill." Sam gave John a dirty look, which, John didn't even see. But, the woman didn't seem to hear John and walked over to Sam without a second thought.

"Hello, I'm Morgan Allens," the woman said, curtsying in her middle class dress. Her red hair was in a long braid over her shoulder and she looked around eighteen. Sam smirked, got up and bowed to her.

"Samuel Clark, at your service." Morgan beamed and sat down next to him, making sure to keep Sam the barrier away from John. After talking with Morgan a bit, Sam learned that she had come to the city to look for work after her father had kicked her out of the house for not marring the man he wanted her to. So far, though, she had no such luck of finding any work and had ended up here. Though, half way through their conversation, John collapsed on the table, startling Sam. Sam sighed, said goodbye to Morgan and helped John's driver with carrying John into his carriage.

–

After Samuel finally got John home to a very angry Mary, he finally got to his own house. It was until he climbed into bed that he felt so tired. He snuggled into his big, soft bed and was happy that the hectic day was over. And, before Sam knew it, he was out like a light. Though, while he was snoozing, another man was making his ways around the world.

He was done with the United States, passed through Ireland, and just got through with Scotland by the time Sam was fast asleep. Finally, Santa Clause got to Birmingham. He went from house to house until he stopped at one particular home. If the people from the town saw him do this, they would wonder why he even went to the house. Samuel Clark lived alone; besides his butler, one cook, and young bodyguard that is. Though, Shelton had come to the house for Franklin, Sam's twelve year old bodyguard; Sam had rescued him from the streets about four years previous.

Ever since then, Santa had come to this house to deliver presents for the boy. And, he beamed in pride for him, since, he was extremely well behaved for his age and, even for a boy that lived on the streets 'til he was eight, learned to read and write quickly. Franklin was honest and polite and had always wished happiness among everyone that he had come in contact with. Santa had always enjoyed bringing joy to this house.

He stepped out of his sleigh and on to the snow covered roof. As he made his way to the chimney, he smelt something foul. He hastily checked under his boots and saw that he had stepped in some bird droppings. He then quickly banged his left boot on the roof, trying to scrap it off. Finally, when he was sure he had gotten off as much as he could, he made his way to and down the chimney.

Sam, who felt like he had just fell into wonderful sleep, was awaken by a noise coming from the roof. It was a thumping sound, like someone was stomping their boots on his roof. This startled him and he quickly jumped from his bed. In his nightgown, he ran off to get his riffle from the wall. For once, he was actually happy that he owned one. The only _real _reason he owned it in the first place was to go hunting with John and some of his friends. Though, Sam wasn't very good at walking quietly and he got frightened so easily that he shot at anything that moved out of the corner of his eyes; this included the wind, leaves, water droplets, and even some of John's men. These are the reasons why he was never invited back to hunt again. And, it was also another reason why Sam was very cautious when picking the riffle up.

He quickly ran outside, not noticing a sleepy Franklin coming down the stairs right when he slammed the front door shut. Sam walked away from the house a bit and looked up. He saw a man in a red suit on his roof. The man was also holding a sack; which, from where Samuel was standing, he wasn't sure if it was full or not. A burglar? on Christmas? How atrocious! Sam thought, glaring at the man. Samuel brought the riffle up close and aimed. He planned to scare the man off the roof by shooting above his head; hoping that the man will drop the sack and run off. Even if Sam couldn't hunt worth a damn, he had pretty good aim for someone that never practiced; which, wasn't saying much, but, it was something at least.

Just as the man walked all the way down the roof, Sam aimed and was grabbed by Franklin.

"Don't shoot him!" Franklin screamed, afraid of what had just done. Though, when Franklin had pulled on his arm, he angled it down, and, even if Sam wasn't planning on _hitting _the man, that is what he had done instead of scaring him. Sam had let out a gasp and Franklin was staring wide eyed at the roof as the man swerved backwards and landed with a _thud _on Sam's roof. When this happened, Sam turned angrily at Franklin.

"I _wasn't _going to shoot him! I was going to scare him off!" Sam yelled at Franklin, who, had his head down. It was rare that Sam got angry at Franklin; it was usually Thomas who yelled at the youth. "What were you thinking?! You know I get startled easily!" Though, after he let out all his angry and worry on Franklin, Sam felt a little better, but, he did feel bad that he yelled at Franklin. Finally, after a long pause, he let out a heavy sigh, patted Franklin's shoulder, and looked back up on the roof.

"I-I'm sorry, sir!" Franklin finally let out. "Very, very sorry!"

"It's alright. I'm sure the police will understand...At least I hope so. Well, either way, I'll just bribe them," Sam decided, talking more to him self then the Franklin. "Now the only problem is to get on to the roo-" Sam was interrupted by slamming into a ladder; which, he was almost positive wasn't there before. He rubbed his nose while glaring at the ladder.

"Are you alright?" Franklin asked, coming up next to him to make sure he wasn't having a nose bleed. Though, Sam just waved him away, not wanting him to see his embarrassment. Franklin then turned his attention to the ladder.

"Where do you think this came from?" Franklin asked, amazement in his voice. Sam shrugged.

"Let's go find out." Sam climbed the steps fast, wanting to see this burglar up close; though, Franklin took his time, he wasn't very good when it came to heights. Once Sam was on the roof, he pulled Franklin up next to him. Then, Samuel saw the clothes of the burglar, or, at least he was pretty sure. He walked up to them and was surprised that the body was no where to be found. Franklin was right beside him.

"I say, do you think he's running around nude?" he asked, amused. Sam wasn't sure, but, he pulled the coat up.

"This is a very nice suit, I admit. It seems to be expensive. The loon must have stolen it," Sam said with a frown, but, he dug around in it's pocket. Finally, he came to a card that said something about putting on the suit, but, it was dark and Sam couldn't see that well. Finally, he picked him self off the ground and examined the coat. It was big, probably John big, but, it seemed warm enough. Sam, who, was in his nightgown, was freezing and saw no harm in putting on the jacket. Once he did this, he noticed something that seemed impossible to miss.

"Uh...Sir. There seems to be...animals on the roof," Franklin said at the exact moment Sam saw them. There were nine reindeer's attached to a huge, red sleigh. Sam quickly went over to the sleigh and looked in it. Franklin, who had just noticed that Samuel had the red jacket on, quickly grabbed the rest of the man's clothes, just in case Sam wanted those too and quickly followed Sam on to the sleigh. But, as soon he was on the sleigh, Sam tried to wave him off.

"It isn't safe on here, Franklin. Get off," Sam said. Though, when Franklin hesitated, Sam got frustrated. "Go! Go!" But, right as Franklin was about to get off, the reindeer reacted faster and started running. Both were thrown back into the sleighs seats and Sam quickly grabbed the reins, but, it seemed no matter how hard he tugged, the reindeer wouldn't slow down. Closer and closer until the first of the reindeer was only a few centimeters from the edge. Sam quickly covered Franklin's eyes with one hand, and with the other he covered his own; feeling death come to them.

But, when he peaked again, they weren't falling to their death. No, quite the opposite. They were flying! Sam was so surprised by this, he let his hands fall to his side, letting Franklin see again. Franklin gasped happily and then looked down; though, he quickly looked back inside the sleigh when he realized how high they were.

"This...this is amazing," Sam said, blinking. He wasn't sure what to make of this, but, it was very amazing indeed.

"Sir...do you understand what this is? It's Santa's sleigh!" Franklin said, a huge grin on his face. Then, it faded as quickly as it had appeared. "That means you shot Santa!" Sam blinked at Franklin, just then realizing what he had done. Though, Sam barely believed any of this was real; he was probably just dreaming. When he was young, he hadn't really believed in Santa Claus, but, his sister did, so, he didn't want to ruin it for her. But, when he was ten and she was seven, Caroline and their mother got into a big fight around Christmas time and she told her that Santa didn't exist. This broke Sam's heart and he didn't want to ruin it for Franklin.

And, then, the reindeer skidded to a stop on another roof. Though, it seemed where they stop was about a twenty minute ride from Sam's home. And, Sam didn't want to seem paranoid, but, he was sure the reindeer were staring at him, waiting for him to do something. He looked behind him to stare at the sack that 'Santa' had. It looked empty, but, Sam picked it up to move it out of the way when it went up into the air and lifted Sam up with it.

"W-What's going on?" Sam asked, stunned. Franklin seemed as surprised as him.

"I-I'm not sure, sir," he said. The sack floated Sam over the chimney and then he somehow squeezed through the tiny chimney, into the fireplace. But, he didn't land so smoothly. Actually, he landed on his butt, coal covering his face and clothes. He walked out of it coughing. Now, I'm sure, the last thing a child expects to see is Santa, tall, scrawny, wearing a nightgown with his red coat over it. It's quite a sight actually. And, that is what a little boy saw when Sam came out of the fireplace.

"..._Santa_?" the boy asked, very confused. He rubbed his eyes, looked up at Sam...and did it once more. Sam sighed. He wasn't actually planning to be Santa, but, _sure, why_ _not. _

"Yes, yes. I'm Santa. Please go back to sleep," Sam asked. When the boy lied back down, Sam started to panic. When Sam had first picked up the sack, it had been empty. But, just as he lifted it up, it was heavy as if something was inside it. Puzzled, Sam walked over to small pine tree with festive red berries and popcorn on it. He put down the sack and unloaded a couple of toys; all wrapped in a dark green fabric, tied together with a lighter green ribbon. Sam quickly dragged the sack over to the fireplace and stuck his head in. He had no idea how he was suppose to get out.

But, just then the sack floated back up and into the fireplace, pulling Sam along with it. Then, he was back on the roof, where Franklin was waiting. Sam quickly hurried over to the sleigh and put the bag behind them. He grabbed the reins and waited. Then, he realized that he had to say something.

"Uh...Go?" It was more of a question then a command, but, the reindeer listened nonetheless. The reindeer ran and once again they were flying. Hours went by with Sam doing the same thing at every house the reindeer stopped at. They stopped at too many houses to count, but, finally, it seemed that they were done. By then, Franklin controlled the reins, since, Sam was growing tired.

"I...I think we're done," Sam said, breathless. Franklin smiled.

"Back home then, sir?" Franklin asked.

"Yes, please," Sam nodded.

"Home it is then," Franklin said, mostly to the reindeer. Though, as more hours past, Sam fell asleep in the sleigh and Franklin knew something was wrong. They were heading towards a snow storm and it was getting colder by the second. Finally, the reindeer landed on a sheet of snow and just stood there. The landing had knocked Sam awake, and, as he rubbed his eyes to make him self more awake, Franklin was trying to get the reindeer up and moving again.

"This isn't home, you twits!" Franklin yelled at them. Though, he wasn't really angry at them. He just felt ashamed that he couldn't even get him and Samuel home. And, a bit of frustration for them not listening to him.

"W-what's going on?" Sam asked, sounding sleepy.

"The reindeer's dumped us in the middle of nowhere," Franklin said, sounding ashamed. This alerted Sam awake completely as he looked around; though, you can't see much in a snow storm.

"Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no." Sam said, getting out of the sleigh and walking out into the snow. "This isn't good at all." Just then, a boy came out behind a pole that wasn't there a second ago. The boy smiled at Franklin, then at Sam.

"Oh, hello good sir. Do you mind telling us where we are?" Franklin asked. But, the boy didn't even look at him. He was staring at Sam, who, had become very uncomfortable with the stare. The boy then motioned Sam to get back into the sleigh, which, Sam obeyed. The boy then went over to the pole and pushed a button on the side. Suddenly, the ground started shaking and they started to go down. Both were amazed at this contraption.

Finally, when the sleigh had reached the bottom of the hole, Franklin jumped out. Though, Sam barely noticed because he was taking in the room he was standing. It had kids all around, with pointed ears. Sam had a pretty good guess that they were elves. Some cleaned the sleigh, while others feed the reindeer that had been let free from the sleigh. The room was painted in lots of colors, though, most used was the color red. It was then he noticed Franklin was gone. He turned around, trying to find him.

"Franklin? Franklin!" Sam called.

"Keep it down, will yea'? Some of us are trying to work," a voice behind said. Sam twirled around and looked down to see an elf with curly dark, dark brown hair. He seemed taller then most of the elves and more stern.

"Who are you?" Sam asked.

"The names Bernard. Welcome to the workshop, Santa," Bernard said, turning away from him to check how the other elves were doing. Sam followed.

"It's Samuel Clark. Not, Santa. And, could you, please, explain to me why I'm here?"

"Because you're Santa, _Santa._" When Sam opened his mouth to protest, Bernard held his hand up to stop him. "_Look. _You shot the old Santa and then put on his suit...well...half of the suit. But, it doesn't matter because you put on the coat." Though, when Bernard had said he had shot the old Santa, hurt was in his eyes. He had been right after all. Sam put his hand to his forehead, messaging it. This wasn't real. None of this night had been real. And, all he wanted to do now was wake up from this dream. Finally, he looked back at Bernard.

"Okay, let's just say I believe you. I'm the new Santa. Where am I exactly again?"

"In the North Pole, of course!" Bernard said, frustrated by his ignorants. Sam ignored his frustration.

"Right, right. What do I _do _exactly?" Bernard sighed.

"Look, I don't have time for this. Judy will explain it all to you later."

"Judy? Who's Judy?" Just then a small elf girl came up next to him, with long red hair and a soft smile.

"Follow me, please," Judy said. Sam looked over at Bernard, but, he was gone. Then, Sam wondered again where Franklin had run off to. With a sigh, Sam followed the elf to who knows where. Though, when he was walking behind Judy, there was something in the pit of his stomach, screaming something to him. Something about this being real. But, Sam decided to ignore it.

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Sorry this took so long to get out. This has been a very busy week. I hoped you liked the chapter and more will be up soon, I promise. ^^ Review please! :3


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